Fuse for bombs



Sept. 28, 1937.

H. H. ZORNIG FUSE FOR BOMBS Filed March 20, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Inventor HErmann 11-2w v MW Law HI.) H. ZQRNIG 2,094,032

FUSE FOR BOMBS Sept. 28, 1937.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 20, 1956 Hermann l-Lzmrnig- Attorney Sept.28, 1937. H. H. ZORNIG V 2,094,032

FUSE FOR BOMBS Filed March 20, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inve'ntnr HErmaTu-L1-1.zmn1g Patented Sept. 28, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FUSE FORBOIWBS Hermann H. Zornig, United States Army, Newhall, Iowa ApplicationMarch 20, 1936, Serial No. 69,854

5 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me ofany royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a fuse for a bomb.

In dropping bombs from low-flying aircraft it is desirable that the bombremain in flight and the fuse remain unarmed until such time as theaircraft has gained suflficient distance from the place of impact toassure its safety from the effects of the explosion. The delay in flightis obtained by providing the bomb with some form of parachute.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a timing mechanism forcontrolling delayed arming of a fuse and also for controlling a firingmechanism after a predetermined interval of time.

A further object is to provide an arrangement wherein a single spring isadapted to actuate a hammer and the delay arming mechanism.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention resides inthe novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details ofconstruction hereinafter described and claimed. it being understood thatchanges in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed maybe made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from thespirit of the invention.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view with parts in elevation of afuse constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figs 2 and 3 .are sectional views on the corresponding lines of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary viewv with parts in side elevation and parts insection on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Figs. 5 to 8 are sectional views on the corresponding lines of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference there is shown abomb 5 (Fig. 1) having a threaded opening for attachment of a fuse body6. The fuse body carries a booster charge 1 and a booster lead 8 whichis contained in a tube 9 positioned axially of the body and extendingforwardly to a transverse passage I0 having one end closed by a plug H.

A cylindrical slide l2 mounted in the passage l0 and adapted to be movedto armed position by a spring l2a (Fig. 4) carries a detonator l3 andhas a flattened side l4 engaged by the tube 9 and held thereby againstrotational displacement. The slide is normally held in safe positionwith the detonator i3 out of line with the booster lead 8 by means of anarming bolt l5 (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) extending through the fuse bodytransversely of the slide and engaging a shoulder I6 of the slide. Aspring ll acting on the head l8 at one end of the bolt normally tends toeject the bolt from the fuse body. The bolt is held against the actionof the spring by means of a washer I9 mounted on the other end of thebolt outside the fuse body and retained by a cotter pin 20 duringstorage and by an .arming wire 2| passing through the bolt when the bombis placed in the rack of an aircraft. The arming wire is part of aconventional launching apparatus and is withdrawn from the bolt when thebomb is dropped.

The forward part of the fuse body 6 is formed With a large chamber 22(Fig. 1) for receiving timing, firing and slide control mechanisms.These mechanisms are carried in a frame consisting of an inner plate 23,a center plate 24 and an outer plate 25 spaced by means of tubularseparators 26. When the frame is inserted in the chamber 22 the innerplate rests on the floor thereof and the outer plate is at the forwardedge of the fuse body.

A firing pin 21 disposed axially of the fuse extends through all of theplates of the frame and is normally in the position shown in Fig. 1,with its outer end projecting from the outer plate 25 and its inner endprojecting through the inner plate 23 and through a passage 28 in thefuse body leading to the passage I 0. The firing pin is held in thenormal safe position by a spring 29 confined between the inner side of acollar 30 on the firing pin and a cup 3| in the inner plate 23. Movementof the firing pin under the influence of the spring is limited by ahammer 32 which is mounted on a pivot pin 33 between cheeks 34-34 fixedbetween the inner plate 23 and center plate 24, and has one arm 35positioned between the outer side of the collar 30 and the center plate24.

The extremity of the arm 35 (Figs. 1, 2 and. 4) rests in a notch 36 of.a bolt 31 which is pivotally mounted between cheeks 38-38 fixed betweenthe inner and center plates. A pin 39 on the bolt projects through anelongated slot 40 (Fig. 8) inthe center plate and is engaged by an arm4| of a latch 42 which is pivotally mounted in the center plate and hasanother arm 43 which is arranged to be releasably held by the barrel 52of the timing mechanism as will be described hereinafter. The other'arm44 (Fig. .2 of the hammer is engaged by acoil spring 45 normally I I andhaving its outer end, engaging a shoulder 49 formed on asleeve'fvfifixed on a shaft; 5| extending through the inner plate 23 andcenter plates I 24 of-the. frame.

' the'conventional manner to, control movement of the barrel 52. 7

The timing mechanism is positioned between, the centerplate 24' andouter plate 25 and will be but briefly described as its majordifferences from I a conventional clock-work are covered in a separateapplication.

53' which is seated on the center plate 2 and through which the firingpin passes.

with a ring gear 5 g A sleeve 58 rotatably mounted on the spindlecarriesa pinion, 59 which meshes with an idler 6B which in turn mesheswith. the ring gear 51.

The arbor El of the idler is mounted in a seg mental plate 62 carried bysome of the tubular I is. fixed the segmental plate GZand outer plate 25engages the teeth of the escapement wheel 63 and has an arm 55 engaginga slot 61 in a balance wheelBB,

The balance wheelis fixed to, a sleeve 69 rotatably mounted on thespindle on-the outer side of the sleeve 58; The escapement functions inA winding gear wheel 10' is fixed on the outer end of the spindledirectly underneath the outer plate 25 which is provided with anaperture H for insertion of a winding key (not shown). The winding gearwheel 10 is held against counterclockwise movement by means of a pawl 12(Fig. 5) and pawl spring 13 both carried by the outer plate 25.

The inner end of the barrel 52 is provided with a recess 14 (Fig. 4) forreceiving alocking pin 15 constituting an arm of a lever and fixed onthe outer end of a shaft 16 which extends through the center plate 24and inner plate 23 inside the periphery of the barrel. An arm 11 on theinner end of the shaft is disposed in a cavity 18 in the fuse body andnormally bears against the bolt l5 whereby the shaft 16 is held againstrotation and the pin 15 holds the barrel against action of the mainspring. The barrel is not released until the bolt is ejected uponlaunching the bomb. As clearly shown in Fig. 4 the arm 43 of the latchbears against the rim of the barrel adjacent the recess 14 and is heldby the barrel.

The outer end of the shaft 5| (Figs. 2 and 4) carries a lever arm 19having a upright finger bearing against the rim of the barrel. The innerend of the shaft 5| extends into a cavity 8| (Fig. 3) in the fuse bodyand carries a lever arm 82 inserted in an annular groove 83 in a bolt84. The bolt is slidably mounted in a passage 85 and is normally held atthe inner end of the passage with a reduced pin 86 projecting into thepath of movement of the slide l2 and holding the slide in the unarmedposition with the detonator l3 out of line with the firing pin. Thehammer Itccmprises a barrel 52' (Fig. 1) rotatably mounted on a hollowspindle A spiral .ma'in' spring 5 1 within the barrel has its outer VIend connected to a'hook-55 on the'barrel audits inner end is connectedtoa pin 56 carried by the spindle. The outer end of the barrel isprovided I spring 45 acting through the lever 46 021 the sleeve 50normally holds the leverarm 19against the barrel and tends to move thelever arm .82 to withdraw the bolt 84 from thepath of the slide l2. g

mechanism which is covered in a separate application and will be butbriefly described. The fuse head is formed with acentral passage 88which'is in communication with a flared recess I 89 in the inner side ofthe head and a cylindrical. l I I n I I I recess 90 in the outer side ofthehead ,A ball "9i in'the' passage isseated on the firing-pin 2'! I andon a valve spring 92 carried by a cup93 fixed I in the fuse head. I

" A striker '94 with. a large impact plate 95 on its outer end has itsinner end engaging the ball9l and carries a rocker plate 96 laterally.confined by the'walls of the recess '90 and retained by a cap Ql on theend of the fuse head. On impact the striker will be directly driven intothe fuse or caused topivot about an edge of the rocker plate and therebyactuate the firing pin. p

The parts of the fuse are in the normal safe 7 position shown in Figs.LA with the arming bolt i5 and'the bolt 86 both holding thedetonatorslide in unarmed position. I The arming bolt I5 also prevents movementof the timing mechanism through the instrumentalityof the leverl5-l5-ll. When the bomb is placed in the bomb rack of an aircraftpreparatory to being launched the arming wire 2 I is applied to the l II n I arming bolt i5 and the cotter pin28 removed.

1 Upon launching the bomb the arming wire 2| is withdrawn and the springI! immediately. 1 I

ejects the arming bolt l5 from the-fuse body the slide now beingsolelyheld by the control mecha- I nism '59, 5|, 82, 85. The arm l! is nolonger opposed by the arming bolt l5 and the barrel 52 of the timingmechanism commences to be rotated in a clockwise direction under theinfluence of the main spring 54 and rot-ates the locking pin 15 until itis clear of the recess 14 in the barrel.

The rotation of the barrel is controlled by the escapement in theconventional manner and in the present example the barrel makes onerevolution in ten seconds. When the barrel has moved one-third of arevolution corresponding to a time interval of three and one-thirdseconds, the P recess I4 of the barrel is opposite the finger 80 of thelever arm 19 which is moved through the recess because the shaft 51 isnow free to be rotated by the hammer spring 45. During such rotation ofthe shaft, the lever arm 82 on its lower end withdraws the bolt 84 fromthe path of the slide [2 which is now moved by its spring [2a to anarmed position with the detonator l3 in line with the firing pin 21 andbooster lead 8. The movement of the lever is arrested when the bolt isbrought up against the outer end of its passage.

The fuse is now armed after the lapse of three and one-third secondsfrom the time of launching opposite the upright end of the latch arm 43which heretofore has been bearing against the barrel to restrain thelatch 42 and now moves through the recess 14. Since the latch is nowreleased it no longer opposes the pin 39 on the bolt 37 and the latteris immediately rotated by the arm 44 of the hammer 32 under the actionof the hammer spring 45. The hammer drives the firing pin 27 into thedetonator I3 to explode the charge.

I claim.

1. In a fuse, a casing, a timing mechanism in the casing and including abarrel, a slide mounted for movement transversely of the casing, aspring for moving the slide, a bolt in the path of movement of theslide, a lever for moving the bolt and having an arm engaging the barreland held thereby for a predetermined time after starting of the timingmechanism, a spring for moving the lever when released by the timingmechanism, and a firing hammer under the influence of said spring.

2. In a fuse, a frame having a plate with a slot, a timing mechanism inthe frame including a barrel, a firing pin extending through the frame,a pivoted hammer engaging the firing pin, a rotatably mounted bolthaving a notch for seatin the extremity of the hammer, a spring actingon the hammer and holding it in engagement with the bolt and firing pin,a pin on the bolt extending through the slot in the plate of the frame,a latch pivotally mounted on the plate having one arm engaging the pinon the bolt and having another ar'm engaging the barrel of the timingmechanism, and released therefrom after a predetermined interval.

3. In a fuse, a casing, a timing mechanism in the casing, a firing pinin the casing, a pivoted hammer engaging the firing pin, a rotatablymounted bolt having a notch for seating the extremity of the hammer, aspring acting on the hammer and holding it in engagement with the boltand firing pin, and a latch controlled by the timing mechanism andcontrolling rotation of the bolt.

4. In a fuse, a casing, a firing pin in the casing, a slide carrying anexplosive element adapted to be set off by the firing pin, a. timingmechanism in the casing, a lever controlling release of the slide andcontrolled by the timing mechanism, a hammer for actuating the firingpin, a spring common to the lever and hammer, and means controlled bythe timing mechanism and controlling release of the hammer.

5. In a fuse, a casing, a firing pin in the casing, a slide carrying anexplosive element adapted to be set ofi by the firing pin, a timingmechanism in the casing, a lever controlling release of the slide andcontrolled by the timing mechanism, a hammer for actuating the firingpin, and a spring common to the lever and hammer.

HERMANN H. ZORNIG.

